MysterE
by DepthsofDreams
Summary: Sanji/OC/Zolo - AU - Sanji was running late for his cooking class one morning. Running late entailed running blindly along the side walk - which never ends well. Colliding with a short woman he is knocked to the ground and his heart dislodges from his chest, landing heard in the woman's offered hand. And the only thing he knows of her, is her first initial is E.
1. Accidental Encounter

Accidental Encounter

Long legs carried a lithe frame across the side walk. The body leant right or left, evading the other students on the walk. Blonde hair bounced in a nuisance fashion over blue eyes – effectively blinding said eyes and making the legs halt as the body struck another, ricocheting off and landing a small arse on the sidewalk. The blond head shook, ridding the eyes of the blinding bangs and tilted up; looking at the shocked young woman that stared at it with unguarded eyes.

The mouth on the head opened and low, gruff and winded words spilled from behind smooth white teeth, "I'm sorry!"

Long, strong arms posed to push the body off the ground when a slender, feminine hand reached out to grip one of those strong arms. The hand was cold for lack of a glove in the chilly autumn morning air.

"Are you all right?" asked a soft, worried voice while the hand gripping the blonds arm pulled the body to stand. Hand slid over pants and the back of a jacket, ensuring that they were free of dirt and such. Blue eyes gazed down at the feminine form that their body had fallen into.

Murky brown eyes gazed back into blue ones. Blond hair fell into the blue ones, which made the soft voice giggle softly.

"I've got to go. Good-bye, Lolli-pop!" said the young woman's voice, then blue eyes watched her walk around their body and off into the crowd entering one of the buildings on the vast college campus.

The blond head shook again and turned to run again, heading to class. Teeth biting idly on the paper stem of a cherry loli-pop.

Roll took only a few minutes. Names were called and hands rose in response.

"Sanji?" was called last and one of those long, strong arms lifted into the air, showing that he was present.

"Alright. Everyone's here; get to work," said the professor who then turned to his computer and began to type on his keyboard. The college students withdrew notebooks and folders and music playing devices to settle into their projects.

Sanji stared at the assignment sheet that was given out two days ago. The assignment was to depict a person in writing, imagining them in their minds. A usually easy assignment. Only this time he didn't want to write about Zolo – his best friend – or anyone else he knew. Sanji placed his headphones over his head and pressed them to his ears. He lost himself in the music and began to write. The hour and a half passed quickly enough.

Sanji lowered his headphones and paused the music streaming from them. Looking down he scanned over the page and a half of neat cursive writing. His eyes grew wide. It was the girl from this morning. He began to read it all slowly, packing up everything except the paper. He had gotten every detail down, even the ones that he didn't realize were there. Like the necklace with an E shaped charm. Sanji re-read the paper, walking out of the class room and off toward his cooking class.

Sanji sat on one of the stools by the counter, listening to the teacher with only half his attention. He was quietly piecing the girl from this morning together using the words on the paper that was currently tucked into his "everything" folder. He shook his head lightly and looked up when the teacher asked them a question. He lifted a hand into the air but wasn't called on to answer. Thank goodness, because he didn't know. Sanji jotted down the words on the board and the measurements next to them. It was the recipe for next class. The bell rang a few minutes later and Sanji stood, walking out of the room to head for his car, intending to go meet Zolo there and ask about the girl.

At the car, the green haired swordsman was laying on the hood, snoozing in the bright autumn sun.

"Oi! Zolo, get off my damn car!" the blond shouted and lifted a long leg to kick the lazy man in the shoulder. Zolo smacked at the leg and looked at the tall blond man.

"Okay, okay, don't have to kick me," grumbled the muscled man who sat up and slid off the car in one fluid movement. Sanji just shook his head and withdrew his keys from his jacket pocket, unlocked the car and opened the back door to drop his backpack onto the crowded seat. He took out his "everything" folder and then the paper.

"Read this." He told Zolo, who had already slid into the passenger seat. Calloused fingers took the paper and held it in front of a tan face, green eyes scanning the page slowly, lazily.

He read out loud:

"Before class, roughly seven twenty, I saw a person that interested me. Actually I ran into her because I was running late. She stood at a less than average height. Brown eyes sparkled in the morning air, gleaming with delight. The one that I could see did, at least. The back of her head was covered with metallic green hair that shone even in the dim, cool light. The front was fashioned to sit under a pair of wire rim glasses, covering her right eye and it was colored black.

"Her hands were rough and cold. They had small paint smears on them, too. The sleeves of her hoodie were ragged, covered with one or two patches and lots of paint stains. But the cloth underneath the myriad of color was green with white hemming. This was all she wore against the cool winds that blew around us. Her legs were covered by a pair of heavy denim trip pants that were a stark white as compared to the gloomy gray of the morning. Metallic green chains wrapped around her legs like protective pet snakes. Her shoes were worn and had noticeable holes in them. But they looked comfortable and broken in.

"I looked back up at her face when she asked, "Are you alright?" Her voice was soft and kind. Tender as baked chicken that just fell off the bone. She made me feel calm and innocent with just her words alone. My thoughts raced and then froze, like my breath as it slid from my nose in ragged pants, and I could only stare at her face. Her eyes met mine and I was sure that I would be frozen there by their stark beauty. Deep brown, like chocolate cake batter mixed to a perfection but solid, like a special dark chocolate bar.

"The last thing I saw before she left was a necklace. It was simple and charming. A black chocker with a chain dangling from the front clung to her neck, outlining the slender structure. On that chain was a simple letter charm – E. And that's all she left me with. No name, no number. Just the glimpse at her beauty and what I assume is her first initial – E."

Zolo looked at the large cursive letters and grinned at his friend. Who was blushing and looking at the road while he drove them to the popular college student hangout, Bleak.

"Damn Sanji, sounds like you're in love again," Zolo said, making the blond turn to glare at him. Sanji was in love with a new girl every two weeks, either they went out with him or he admired them from afar.

"I am in love again!" called the love cook who was pulling into the parking lot of the restaurant where loud alternative rock could be heard from the open windows. Zolo grunted and shoved his way out of the car, his hands shoved deeply into the pockets of black slacks he wore most of the time. Sanji jogged after him and copied his actions.

Walking in the door, it was obvious that the place was packed with a lunch time rush that the waitress's handled with practiced ease. The young men were seated quickly and drink orders taken by a sweet and well endowed young woman. Though Sanji seemed too enthralled with his writing to notice what he always looked for in a woman.

Sanji only came back from his second reality that was the memory of that morning when he heard a giggle that was familiar. Looking around the room he spotted the girl – E - he dubbed as her nickname. Sanji kicked Zolo under the table and thrust his chin toward a woman, in a waitress uniform. But when Zolo looked up, there was a red haired girl, not the metallic green haired one.

"She could lose a little butt," huffed the lazy swordsman.

Sanji did a double take and noticed who Zolo was talking about. "I wasn't looking at her. But I agree…" mumbled the blond sullenly.

A waitress came up to them then. She smiled brightly and held out her pad of paper. Black hair falling easily over her right eye, her glasses holding it in place.

"Wanna hear the specials? Or do you have usuals?" asked an easy, professional voice that reminded the love cook of that morning.

Once again, Sanji was speechless – so Zolo ordered for him. With the requests written on the paper E pranced away, sliding into the crowd of customers and servers.

"That was her..?"

"Yep…"

Zolo nodded his head then snorted, looking at the paper in front of Sanji. He grinned, bemused at the thought that the poor man was going to be silent all through lunch because of this. Sanji looked deflated. Zolo could only guess why.

'She didn't even notice me…' whined the blonde internally. He shook his head and frowned. Girls always noticed him. Sanji looked up and around them, wanting to get his mind off of E and on to food. He was struck with just how hungry he was at that thought. His stomach announcing it's distain over having to wait for food now that it was being cooked for it.

Zolo sipped at his soda, turning to look out the window that was a few tables away from them. He spaced out and the minutes passed, the food ordered arriving sooner than seemed it should have. The duel-color-haired young woman strolled back with the trays of food balanced easily on her arms. Zolo reached up to take one of the trays and set it on the table so that she could serve them.

"Number eight point six for Lolli-pop," she said and looked at him with a professional grin. Then turned to pick up the plates off the tray and place them in their respected places.

"…And a number fourteen point two for Zolo. See you in Kendo class." She said and Sanji's eyes grew wide. But he was unable to inquire as the lazy swordsman began to eat.

Sanji ate quickly. Filling his stomach who gurgled it's thanks happily. Zolo took his time, like he always did. When the green haired man was through with his food he leant back in the chair, watching the waiter that took their dirtied plates to the kitchen. E strolled up with the check.

Sanji took this moment to strike. He reached out and took her wrist. E was just pulling her hand away from the slip of paper now sitting on the cleared table.

*"Huh? Que?" The woman asked, looking at the blonde customer. "Something else you need?" Her head tilted to the side, her hair falling from her eye a little. Discolored skin was flashed before she righted her head. Sanji opened his mouth in an attempt to spit out the words that he had in his throat.

It took all of three minutes, but Sanji finally got what he wanted to say out in the open, "What's your name?" E looked at him for all of two seconds before she leant down a little and lifted one, paint-smeared finger to gesture to the E pendent at her neck.

"I go by E," she said and tugged her hand away. "Have a nice day!" She smiled and turned to scamper off. Zolo took the check and went to pay. Sanji followed him, preoccupied with his newly received answer and not noticing that he had left his homework on the table. They got all the way back to the school and the day went on.

Sanji squirmed back in his chair. He ha-ated his English Grammar teacher, she made a fool of everything that English was. Sanji tossed his head and turned to look around at the students around him who were taking notes like good little boys and girls. He listened with only one ear - the other being plugged with a bud earphone. He jotted down notes as he thought he needed to.

The class ended after a long hour and a half. Sanji gathered his things and strolled down the stairs and out into the hall. He located his last class and worked through it productively. When it was over he walked toward the co-ed dorms to drop this things off in the room that he and Zolo shared, signing up at the beginning of the year to be roommates.

Zolo was already in the dorm room, music playing from the stereo and a book in his hand. He was wet so Sanji assumed he either hadn't showered after his kendo class or he had just gotten out of the shower. Sanji sniffed the air and then grimaced.

"Zoe, go shower, you stink!" Sanji shouted and tossed his bag on to the floor by his desk. The open bag spilled a folder. It was Sanji's Everything Folder. The blonde looked at it then felt himself stand there, blinking at it for several minutes.

"I left my homework at Bleak!" screeched the love cook. Zolo flinched and threw a book at him.

"Just re-write it."

"I can't! I'm surprised I wrote it once!" Sanji then went into drama queen mode and sobbed on the floor. Zolo closed his eyes and tried to drown him out.

Hours later Sanji sat at his desk with his pen in hand and his music blaring around him from the stereo on the far right corner of the rather large desk. He couldn't hear the knock on the door as it came.

E stood there with the piece of paper in hand, she looked at it awkwardly then knocked again, a little louder. There was still no answer from the other side of the thin door. "Maybe I can knock it down with a kick...?"

Zolo jingled his keys as he walked back to the room. "Don't do that, the maintenance men are still sore over Sanji doing that last time he lost his key..."

Zolo unlocked the door as E laughed at him. She watched him open the door and begin to shout at Sanji to turn down the music so he could hear when someone was at the door. Sanji jolted upright from his hunched position when he heard E's cool voice.

"Zoe, be nice, neh? I didn't mind waiting. He just would have had to deal with not getting his Japanese-lit assignment back before the due date." She waved the piece of paper in the air in front of Sanji's face and the blonde snapped out of his stupor to try and grab the sheet. E snatched it back from his reach before he could.

"You owe me for running into me this morning. That really hurt, Lolli-pop." E giggled.

Suddenly there was a loud thump close by and all the occupants of the room turned to look at the door way. A woman was on the floor there, she had bright orange hair that fell to her shoulders and tight, suggestive clothing on.

"Nami!" shouted Sanji, who leapt up, glad of the distraction. "What are you doing on the floor?"

Nami got up to all fours before Sanji hefted her up to her feet. "I followed E over here. I didn't know she was coming to this floor, we're not supposed to be here, ya' know." Nami scolded a cool E.

"I can be up here, I'm returning something that belongs to Sanji. But, you might want to run back to the third floor before the rounds are made." Nami looked scared as she thought about having to be taken back to her floor by the scrawny man that was the floor prefect. "Bye!" was all they heard as the orange and blue blur sped to the stairs. Zolo laughed quietly from his place on the bottom bunk.

Sanji looked at E and then his paper.

"What did you want?" he asked her while he offered her his rolly-chair to sit in.

"You two over for dinner," she said, not taking the offer but holding out his paper. Sanji took it and looked at her with a strange look on his face. "Over for dinner?"

"Yup!" She giggled softly, "Meet me at Bleak in thirty minutes? I need to go bribe my uncle to let us eat free."

And with that, E was gone. She closed the door behind her and Sanji watched her leave. He sat back in his chair and looked over his work. It had red pen all over it and a second page stapled to it. It was a revised version of the assignment with more detail to it than Sanji had put in, even the exact time that they ran into each other and where the sun was and the like.

"She's a perfectionist in writing." Zolo said with a chuckle as he noticed the red ink. Sanji shook his head and stood up, walked to his chest of drawers and opened the third drawer from the top.

"What are you doing?" Zolo asked.

"Getting ready to go out to dinner." Sanji said and pulled out a pair of black skinny jeans. Zolo chuckled and rolled his eyes, letting the blonde do as he wanted to.

End. *French for What?


	2. Three Way Date

Three-way Date

Zolo smelled her before he saw her. She had lit up again and she did it rarely enough to tell Zolo when she was thinking very hard about something that she wanted to get away from. The green-haired man just shook his head and walked over to her.

"Smoke makes it hard to breathe." He said and E turned her head to blow the smoke out of her mouth and keep it out of his face. E looked at him and then rolled her eyes.

"Don't stand so close, Lolo, best I can do is blow it out in another direction." She looked at Sanji and smiled at him. He was gnawing at the paper stem of his cherry sucker.

"You could quit, too." grumbled the grouchy man as he pushed through the door to the restaurant. E followed him in and then Sanji followed the short woman. Inside the building it was the perfect temperature as compared to the bitter chill that soaked into your clothes and into your skin and right to your bones that lingered outside. E led them to an empty table and then went to get menu's while they looked at the drink list.

"What drinks do you two want?" E asked while she ran a hand through her hair, pulling the hair from behind her glasses and showing off the oddly formed scar that was still hard to see because of the ear piece to her glasses. Sanji gave it an odd look and lifted a hand in inquiry. E ignored him with obvious unease. Zolo answered her while she readjusted the hair under her glasses.

"Just water." Sanji looked at the other man as if he should be asking about the scar, too, but he didn't get to harp on the man before E glanced at him with discontent shining from behind her glasses. She then looked back at Zolo and fidgeted, waiting quietly for his answer. The way she acted made Sanji feel cold and ashamed.

"U - ah.. a... coke?" he muttered and slumped in the seat as she walked away hurriedly. Zolo looked at him like he was everyday dirt. Green hair waved a little as he shook his head and sighed.

"You'll see lots of things about her that she would rather hide, so please do not stare or ask," Zolo said under his breath before he turned to watch the woman in question walk back to them with a tray of six glasses, putting three on their table, then going to another to put theirs down. She was being followed by a girl who looked like she was anything but confident around the smaller woman who was speaking smoothly to the people, explaining that the girl was Emma and she was going to be their server and that she was new.

"Why is she doing that?" Sanji asked aloud as he watched her walk back over to their table and take a sip of her drink.

"Because I was asked to help out." E said and then looked at Emma, who was writing orders in a shaky script that looked like E might have to re-write the order. "I'll be back in a few minutes, I'll bring Nachos." She murmured and then walked with Emma back to the kitchen, looking at her pad before sighing and taking a pen out of her apron - which she had put on when she went to get the drinks and scribbled in a messy, but clear script, the orders as she read them.

Sanji watched her hands in fascination, they were so small, quaint and though they look soft and inviting, he knew them to be rough and calloused. The blonde suddenly had the unnerving need to hold them tight in his own. To rub off the callous' and make them soft like they looked from so far away. Zolo gave him a strange look as his best friend stared at his close female companion.

"You really like her, don't you? It's not just a three day crush, right?" Zolo was worried, because he knew that Esme also liked Sanji, but she was scared of his antics and reputation as a lady killer - love 'em and leave 'em type of personality that just made a girl wanna kill herself because she wasn't good enough for him. Sanji looked at him with obvious shock. He looked down at the Coke before him and played with the straw.

"It's deeper than the others..." The love cook said and wrapped his hands around the cold glass as Zolo looked at him with stern eyes, then he slouched in his seat and looked around the room. It was quiet for a while, just the low buzz of the alternative rock music playing in the background of the lives of the patrons of the restaurant.

E helped Emma carry the order out to the waiting tables that she'd taken charge of and swooped over to their table to drop off the nachoes and take another drink of her water, which was very lacking in the department of ice by now. E smiled at the both of them before she told Emma that she'd supervise while she took the orders of another table that came up, and reminded her that she needed to write clearly, but quickly. Then the girl went off and E slipped away to get a few more things for the three of them to munch on.

There were four empty plates there on the table, and a large slab of cake rested on the fifth plate. E covered it in whipped cream and began to eat. Sanji watched her in almost horror - she'd eaten the most out of all of them, and she was the smallest one that was there! He wasn't sure if he should ask her to stop or root her on, because she didn't to be slowing down at all. The blonde glanced over at Zolo before he heard the plate scrape on the table and he looked over to E, who was looking back at him, offering him half of the piece of cake. "I'm full, you eat it," she offered with a smile, licking the whipped cream from her lips.

Sanji stifled the shudder watched that tongue produced.

E and Zolo then stood up, he had to go to the bathroom, and she was taking the plates to the back room. Zolo walked hurridly into the bathroom and once there, he pulled his wallet out, taking the estimated amount of money from his wallet that would pay for the meal. The man that Zolo was holding the money out toward chuckled at the serious face that the swordsman had on his face. "Zolo, you don't have to give that to me, it's really no problem," the older man said, grinning as the other shook his head. "I'll take care of it, you shouldn't baby her so much, Clyde," The older man laughed and took the money from his hand, "I see, I see, that's your place, isn't it?" he laughed again as Zolo just curtly nodded. Clyde nodded and pocketed the money while the younger male walked out of the bathroom and made his way back to the table.

"But the pepper and vanilla made that vaguely heated sweet taste that twisted with the chocolate and pickle juice and made an over all compelling and delicious flavor!" E was saying loudly and flailing, more of the cake that she and Sanji had been eating resting on the table. "Maybe I shouldn't ask what I missed..." he muttered as he sat back down, taking a long gulp of his water.

Sanji took a large bite of the cake and rolled it around in his mouth for a long time. He finally swallowed and then stuck his tongue out at the small woman, grinning, "Sadly, I have to agree..." He looked toward the other male and rolled his eyes, "I asked what was in this cake." Zolo scoffed and let a ghost of a smile slide over his face. E looked between them and the yawned, "Chill out here if you'd like, I've got to get to the library to grab a book before I forget it." She stood and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket to check the time before she started out the door, her pack of cigarettes in her hand.

Zolo watched Sanji and then looked at the door, where the blonde was staring. He rolled his eyes and kicked the taller male. "Go with her, moron..." Sanji nodded and got up, following his crush out the door.

It was colder outside then it had been when they had gotten there. E was standing on the very edge of the curb, smoking into the wind, so that the smoke wafted down the street and away from the restaurant. "Took you long enough," she teased before she flicked her cigarette butt into the street, blowing the last of her smoke out through her nose. Sanji rolled his eyes and moved to her side, getting there as he heard a loud motor. He jerked his head toward the noise and grabbed her by the shoulders, tugging on her hard as he threw himself back away from the street. A large truck zoomed past, swerving this way and that as it did. Sanji pulled the small, cold woman to his chest and felt her shake from more than just the cold. Zolo and Clyde burst through the doors, responding to Sanji's calls for help, which he hadn't even known he was saying.


	3. Just Shut up and Hold Me

Clyde came over to them and E turned to cling to him tightly. Her arms locked around his waist and she pushed her ear to his chest, which she barely reached. It was as if she was listening for something, relaxing only somewhat as she heard it. Clyde ran his fingers through her hair and cooed gently. "Esme, it's alright, sweety, everything's okay," he said, trying to calm her. Soon, she stopped shaking, standing frozen, clinging to her uncle while Zolo and Sanji watched her. Sanji looked as if he was about to burst into tears.

Sanji walked to Clyde's side. He lifted his hand and made to pat E's back, letting her know that he was there for her when she opened her mouth and - while she was still staring at nothing in particular - said, "You saved my life." Sanji froze a moment before he smiled and ran his hand down her back, then up it again. He didn't say anything, just kept rubbing her back, the action seeming to calm her even more.

After a minute or so, there was a small crowd and E was standing on her own, her hand locked around Zolo's, who didn't seem to care at all. Clyde gestured for everyone to be on their ways and asked Zolo and Sanji to take her back to the dorm in their car, whispering a soft thanks to Sanji for pulling Esme out of the line of danger. Then he turned back to the restaurant and hurried in, getting out of the cold. Sanji watched him before they turned to head to the car. Sanji unlocked it quickly and let them get into the back seat as he got in on the drivers side and started the car. E looked at him as she sat in the back with Zolo, her hand still laced tightly with his.

E watched Sanji drive back to the school, parking right by the door to their dorm. A woman was standing next to the door and walked closer to them as she saw E getting out of the car with the green haired man next to her. "Esme, love, are you all right?" the woman asked and E looked up at her with dazed eyes before she nodded and smiled weakly. "I'm great, Aunt Lady," She said and the woman wrapped her in a gentle hug. "Clyde called and told me what had happened. I rushed here so I could make sure you were okay." E smiled at her and hugged back before stepping back. "I'm tired, I'm going to go to bed, Auntie." Lady ran a hand over her hair and moved out of her way. She stood watching the trio walk into the dorms, Sanji holding the door for the other two before she turned to get back to the apartment.

_ The girl sat in the middle of the bed, her knees up against her bare chest. Her hair fell over her face, covering the bloody, torn flesh that made up the side of her face. Close to her side lay a man that claimed to be her father. But he was not a father at all._

_ The girl cried softly and slowly scooted toward the edge of the bed, keeping still as she thought that the man was moving on his side of the bed. She quickly slipped from the mattress and dashed to the bathroom. The girl lifted her blonde hair from her face with shaking hands. She held it back as she washed the blood off her face and looked at the gnarled lines that were carved there. She sounded out the letters as she saw them, backwards in the mirror._

_ s.s.e.l.h.t.r.o.W - Worthless. This was the word now branded on her face. The girl looked into the mirror and saw only that word. Worthless. That's what she was... Then she looked down to see the half healed word on her tummy, at an angle because she wouldn't hold still as it was cut into her. i.d.i.o.t Idiot. Another thing that she was. There was another word on the back of her shoulder, though she was unable to see that one. The girl looked at herself in the mirror, naked and broken, and cried silently. Endless tears rolling down her face and pooling in the sink, where the drain slurped them up and made them nothing._

_ She stood there for what felt like ever, until her father walked in and found her. He glared at her and grabbed for her, pulling her roughly to him and brought her back to the bed, where he beat her until -_

E threw herself up into a sitting position once she was awake and lifted a shaky hand to the scar under her messy hair. She touched the rough tissue there and noted that it was wet from her tears. She rubbed the salty liquid into her skin and then moved to get up, looking for her glasses on her night stand and pushing them up her nose upon location.

The young woman ran a hand through her hair and checked the time on her alarm clock.

12:34 in the a.m.

Crap.

Esme turned on the light and then wandered to her desk. The large thing had a drawer with a lock on it, this drawer was always locked for the thing that was inside of it. She took her key chain from her bag and opened the drawer with the midget key. She took out an amber bottle of sleeping medication that didn't always work and took two. Then she got up and toted her pack of cigarettes up to the roof where the world was silent and lulling. She wandered to the railing and sat on it while she lit up and sat in the cold, her feet only covered in socks and her hoodie draped over her shoulders.

After two and a half cigarettes the woman made to get up, the medicine starting to take a little effect. The memories were hazing back into the back of her mind. She woman got up and began to walk back toward the stairwell to head back to bed. Esme walked slowly, her hands wrapped tightly around each other in front of her. Black hair fell over her face as she looked down, making it hard to see around her. And it made the person in front of her invisible to her eyes.

Sanji had gotten up to go to the bathroom, and on his way back to his room he saw someone walking down the hall. The prefects stopped making rounds at 12:30, so it wasn't a prefect. As the person got closer he noticed the ever shining metallic green hair and frowned. Why was E up so late at night. The woman was walking toward him and seemed to not even notice him. The male watched her and then noted that her head was down, nose parallel to the floor. He stepped to her as she began to pass him and asked, "Bad dream?" E jerked her head up to look at him, her hands clenched as if she was about to hit him, but she stopped herself upon recognizing his voice. Her head dropped and she sighed softly, "Yea, why are you out of your room?" Sanji smiled and turned around walking with her as they moved back toward her room.

"I got up to take a leak and it must have been fate that I ran into you, are you all right? You seemed really distant when we left you in your room." E looked up at his face as she listened to his words. The woman looked down and muttered so softly that he barely heard it,

"My father pushed me into the street as a child, he was attempting to turn me off of running into the road, I almost was hit, but a young woman saved me."

Sanji looked at her down cast head and nodded. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and turned the knob in the door of her room for her. He opened it and guided her to her bed. She sat and allowed him to pull the blanket up to her waist, but she wouldn't lay down. Her mind not hazy enough for that, but it was fast approaching.

The Love Cook made to turn away, but she stopped him by grabbing the elastic of his night pants. She kept her head down and just held on to his pants as he looked back at her and after a moment he smiled warmly and sadly at her hair and moved back to her, sitting on the bed next to her. E leant into him and her head landed on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair as she rested against him. The warmth of his body soothed her, relaxed her body and lulled her mind to sleep. Sanji gently lent her back so her head was on her pillow and removed her glasses. He tucked the blanket in around her arms and then he stood up to leave.

Sanji turned and walked past her desk to the door, a small amber bottle with a white cap catching his eye. He thought for a moment if he should look at it, his curiosity begging him to. But he shook his head and left the dark room, letting her have her privacy.

Back in the room he shared with Zolo, the Love Cook sat himself hard on his desk chair. He still felt her head on his chest. Felt her heart beating at the same his did. Sanji felt his cheeks flush with color and he placed his hand over them. His heart fluttered as he kept thinking of those moments where he was holding her. The blonde sat there for hours, lost in that memory, and fell asleep leaning back in his chair.


End file.
